Marawi siege could be a case of 'pintakasi,' analyst says

MANILA, Philippines — A defense analyst said on Monday that the battle between Philippine security forces and Islamist militants in Marawi City which has left hundreds dead and scores injured could be considered a case of “pintakasi.”

In an interview with news station ANC, Jose Antonio Custodio, a defense expert, said that the battle raging in Marawi City could be a case of “pintakasi” which, in this case, means collective effort in fighting an outsider.

If used in community work, “pintakasi” would be akin to “bayanihan.”

Custodio said a core group of Maute militants could have been reinforced by fighters from other armed groups in Mindanao, an island of 22 million parts of which are hampered by secessionist and communist movements, terrorism and criminality.

When asked if fighting in Marawi City was a case of “pintakasi,” Custodio said: “I think that’s what’s happening there. You have a core group of Maute and then you have affiliates from other armed organizations which the military also mentioned in many of its briefings.”

In situations like this, their ability to mobilize clan members and other allies is quite fast, according to Custodio. He said that an initial estimate of 50 fighters could immediate swell to several hundred as they used their tribal and clan connections to reinforce their fighters.

“One thing that we have to be aware of is that in those types of places the rapidity of how they can mobilize clan members, affiliate-gunmen is quite fast. There’s actually a term for it. They call it pintakasi. Your estimate of 50 gunmen initially will be overtaken by events. Suddenly they will call on their clan connections and their allies, and next thing you know you will be facing several hundred of them,” he said.

The Mamasapano clash of 2015, where commandos of the elite police Special Action Force were caught in a firefight with members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and private armed groups was also said to be a case of pintakasi.

The police raid against international terrorist Zulkifli Bin Hir, also known as Marwan, was done without coordination with the MILF as required by ceasefire protocols and sparked the firefight that left 44 SAF commandos, 18 MILF fighters and several civilians dead.

AFP observes 'humanitarian pause'

Custodio’s comments came as the end of the truce declared by the military to mark the end of Ramadan was marred by sporadic bursts of gunfire as militant snipers took aim at positions held by troops.

Gen. Eduardo Año, the Philippine military chief, ordered a brief cessation of hostilities as Muslims celebrated Eid'l Fitr, which marked the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Security personnel and Islamist militants belonging to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)-inspired Maute Group and Abu Sayyaf have been fighting in Marawi, a city of more than 200,000, for over a month now.

The fighting began on May 23 as troops tried to arrest Isnilon Hapilon, an Abu Sayyaf subleader and the point man of the so-called ISIS in the region. Security personnel faced intense resistance from the rebels, and this prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to place the entire island under army rule.

Aside from a significant number of troops on the ground engaging the militants in street-to-street urban battle, the military has also pounded terrorist positions with heavy air offensives and artillery fire.

However, these have so far failed to rid the Islamic city of Maute fighters who are well entrenched in a few villages.

The fighting has already claimed the lives of more than 350 people, most of them rebels. It has also displaced most of the city’s residents although several hundred civilians remain trapped in the area.

'No comparison with Zamboanga siege'

Custodio said that the battle in Marawi could not be compared with the siege of Zamboanga City as the two have wide differences especially in terrain.

“You have to take into consideration also the terrain in Marawi which is basically landlocked. You have the south which is Lanao Lake. Recently you have the military saying that even Lanao Lake is being used by Maute for movement. You can infiltrate and exfiltrate the city easier than what could have been done in Zamboanga which is on the tip of a peninsula,” Custodio said.